


Sanscest Oneshots & Short Stories

by Stargazer_Nebula



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A lot of these are copy-and-pasted over from my Wattpad, I like to hurt Dream apparently, I really like the pairing but I can't get their characters right, I suck at writing Afterdeath for some reason, I'm doing this instead of my physics classwork, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Nightmare is an overprotective brother, Sans AU Angst, Sans AU Fluff, So expect some errors and that stuff, Some of these are inspired by games, What am I supposed to even tag this with, it's painful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28592949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargazer_Nebula/pseuds/Stargazer_Nebula
Summary: A collection of oneshots and short stories involving the Sans AUs. Some will feature a human AU and the likes. If you're looking for smut pieces, I have a separate work for that. Please be aware that I tend to be biased/lean towards my own personal favorites, and that updates may be slow. Expect fluff, romance stuff, and angst. Some pieces mention rape/non-con and other sensitive topics. I'll put a warning in the Notes at the beginning.None of the characters are owned by me.
Relationships: Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	1. Broken Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Summary for the first short story: Dream and Nightmare agreed on a set of rules when the village came around. One of these rules includes a curfew, mainly for Dream. One night, he returns to the Tree of Feelings long past the curfew, and Nightmare immediately knows something is off. He's determined to get to the source of the problem.
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of rape/non-con, possibly OOC, underage.
> 
> Back when I wrote this on my Wattpad account, it was one of the longest (if not the longest) things I'd written. Still not sure how I feel about it.
> 
> Also this is not edited or revised from when I first wrote it on Wattpad.

It was late at night. Very late at night.

Nightmare had always stayed up until later hours. He knew it was important to have a balanced sleep schedule, but he wasn't affected by that in the same way humans were, even monsters. He was a magical spirit of negativity, he didn't necessarily need sleep. But he always did his best to sleep at some point, if only to pass the time. Even if he was only closing his eyes the whole time and laying still on his bed. Right now he was sitting on his bed, reading a book on astronomy, astrology, and the folklore behind each of the zodiac signs. He gave a quick glance up from his book to look to the other side of the large tree he lived in, but still didn't see his brother there.

This... deeply concerned Nightmare. His brother was always away from home, hanging out in the village. Helping out wherever he could and playing with the children. But he knew when the curfew was and always made sure to be back to the tree at least thirty minutes before then. It was currently an hour and a half after curfew. He was debating whether or not to go and search for Dream, as he'd done the first few times Dream had been running late. He'd decided against it because, even if he himself couldn't trust them, he knew he could trust the villagers to not hurt Dream. But.... now he was becoming seriously worried. Dream never took this long.

Finally, just as Nightmare was about to go and look for his brother, one of the long vines that was woven around a branch began to move on its own. Nightmare slid the bookmark in between the pages and closed the book, setting it down. Walking towards the center of the "room", he crossed his arms as he waited for his brother to appear. The vine began to recoil and hoist something up from the ground, but it wasn't going at the super fast speed it usually was. This time it was much slower and... gentler, if that made any sense. Like it didn't want to hurt whatever it was carrying.

The first thing Nightmare noticed when Dream was lifted into view was how shaken up he looked. He was shivering and curled into a bit of a ball, just barely holding onto the vibe that was carrying him up. Tears that were tinted with a hint of gold were building up in his eye sockets, the normally bright yellow pupils clouded over and dimmed. They didn't have their sparkle. The vine set Dream on his feet carefully, and paused for a moment by his side, like it was ready to catch him if he fell. Nightmare could see the way his knees were bent and his legs were shaking. The way his whole body was shaking. Something was definitely wrong.

"...... You're back quite late," Nightmare commented, keeping his voice as calm as he could. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah! Everything's great!" Dream nervously replied, heading over to his bed. Nightmare could see the limp in his step. "I guess I just got caught up in everything... more than I thought... hehehe....."

"... Hey, if something is wrong, you can tell me," he replied, keeping his tone just as gentle. "I want to help you."

"R-Really, Nighty, nothing's wrong!" He grinned at him, but he could see beyond that fake smile.

Dream never faked a smile. He was never this shaken up. He was never about to cry like that, holding it in, as though he was afraid of someone seeing. Dream had never acted like everything was fine when it really wasn't. Nightmare would know. He had no good interactions with the people of the village, only bad ones. Most of them involved rocks being thrown at him or words being spat at him. It was why he didn't leave the top of the tree anymore. He was perfectly content up here with his books and the apples. But Dream wasn't like him, and Nightmare knew that better than anyone.

"Dream--" Nightmare began, making his voice a little more strict.

"Seriously, Nightmare, I'm fine," Dream insisted, slinking under the blanket of his bed. "Let's just... go to sleep, or whatever it's called."

Nightmare bit the inside of the boney cheek he had. He didn't want to just drop the subject, especially when he could so clearly see that Dream was hiding something. He knew that "I'm fine" is really just a cover-up, a lie, for something serious. He could feel the immense negativity radiating from his brother, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Something definitely wasn't right. But staring at the still and motionless form of his brother under the blankets, he decided to keep quiet for now. Maybe he was just imagining things or was too paranoid. One of his biggest fears was something happening to Dream and him being unable to help. As the "big brother" of the twins, it was his responsibility to look after Dream and make sure he was okay. If he failed to do so, he... he didn't know what he would do.

So he merely returned to his own side of the "room" at the top of the tree. He decided that, maybe if he pretended he was asleep for long enough, he would be able to find out the source of the problem. If Dream would fall asleep, then maybe he'd be able to look deeper into his feelings and find out what was troubling him. With this plan in mind, Nightmare put the book he had been reading away and got into his own bed. Using his magic to turn out the fairy lights that Dream had strung up as decoration, he closed his eyes. But he didn't try to fall asleep. He simply kept a sharp ear out, which he didn't have, and paid close attention. Both to the sounds and the feelings coming from his brother. Now that Dream had dropped his cheerful facade, the negativity from him was becoming stronger. It came as such a surprise to Nightmare that he'd almost blown his cover.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he could tell that Dream had fallen asleep. Opening his eyes, he quietly got up from his bed and made his way over to Dream. He had to be careful with where he stepped, as Dream's side of the "room" was always on the messier side. As he got closer and closer, he could hear the quiet sobs coming from his brother's sleeping form. They sounded so sad and broken, it made him uncomfortable to hear them. Such sounds shouldn't be coming from his brother. His happy-go-lucky, loveable, heartwarming, naive little brother. His brother who was the embodiment of all positive feelings. Who was the embodiment of Nightmare's one connection to hope and happiness.

Whoever, or whatever, had reduced his smiling brother to a sobbing mess would pay dearly. Even if it ruined what little of a reputation he had with the village people. No one hurt his brother and got away with it.

Nightmare gently placed his fingertip against Dream's forehead. Closing his eyes, he used his magic to tap into Dream's mind. He was having a.... nightmare.... a very vivid one. With further analysis, Nightmare could tell that it was more than just a bad dream. It was a replay of a memory... one that happened very recently. One that had happened today. Nightmare's breath hitched in his throat, and he nearly sent a shock of magic through Dream. It would've been a small one, he would've barely felt it, but it wouldn't do anything to help his case. Taking a deep breath, Nightmare pushed further into Dream's mindscape.

And he was horrified by what he found waiting for him.

~~~~

_Dream had just said his farewells to some of the village children, waving goodbye to them as they scurried back to their homes._

_The mothers, all wearing tired expressions, said farewell to him too. Soon it was just Dream all by himself in the outside of the village, with an occasional passerby. A late night worker, a teenage couple, there was really no limit to what groups were out and about. Dream took a quick glance at the clock. It was approaching the curfew, and this was around the time he usually started to head back. So he started to head back to the way to exit the village, heading back to the Tree of Feelings. Everything seemed normal, and Nightmare was about to dismiss his worries, but then he saw them._

_It was a group of older men. Nightmare had seen them a few times, mostly when they were harassing him. From what he knew, only one of them had a wife and a few kids. They were the kind of people who spent all of their money on some beers and shots of whiskey at the bar, then went home and did nothing but eat and sleep. Never spared a moment for their children or wives, unless they were doing... that. They must've just left the bar, as they were laughing loudly and staggering along. As they got closer to Dream, they carried the awful stench of liquor and cigarettes. Dream managed a smile and a wave to them, while putting a little more speed in his steps. Clearly he wanted to get out of there, and Nightmare didn't blame him._

_"Hey, Dream!" One of the men called out to him, his voice raspy. "Come over here for a second, would ya?"_

_Dream was a bit hesitant at first. He knew he had to get back to the Tree of Feelings soon, otherwise he'd get another lecture from Nightmare about safety and whatnot. But it would be rude of him to just ignore the group of men and carry on walking. And they said it would only be for a second, didn't they? Swallowing a lump in his throat, he started to head over to the group of men. Dream wanted to gag as the smell of alcohol and tobacco got stronger. But he managed a smile onto his face as he got closer, probably to not seem rude._

_"How can I help you guys?" Dream asked them, his voice as gentle and bubbly as always. "Do you need a walker back to your houses?"_

_"Nah, that ain't it..." One of them said, hiccuping. "We do need some help, though, little buddy."_

_"It's kinda late, but maybe I can still help... how long will it take?" He asked, humming. "I do have a curfew, you know."_

_"It shouldn't take very long, a few minutes at most," another one added. "Besides, I'm sure if you just explain everything to that other one--"_

_"He has a name. He's my brother," he frowned for once, and Nightmare could sense that he was biting his tongue. Holding back. "His name is Nightmare."_

_"Right. Anyway, I'm sure if you tell him you were helping some people out, he'll understand why you're running a little late," they continued, and the malice in their voice was covered up by their grogginess._

_"Hm.... well.... alright. But I can't stay very long," Dream agreed, following after the group. "What's the issue?"_

_"It's more of a personal thing, but we're having some issues you could us out with...." one of them began to explain._

_Nightmare wasn't really paying attention to the conversations Dream was having with the villagers. He was more focused on the surroundings. He was trying to find clues as to what happened, so he could try and predict the event before it was confirmed or debunked. The group seemed to be leading Dream to the back alleys of the village, where most of the restaurants and cafes stuck their large garbage bins and whatnot. No one ever really came back here unless they were throwing bags into the cans or getting the cans to clear out the trash. But trash day wasn't until four days from now, and all of the buildings had closed up prior to this moment. Nightmare had a very bad feeling about this._

_They wouldn't. They wouldn't do that to him. To the sweet, innocent Dream who only wanted everyone to be happy. They wouldn't. Nightmare would never forgive them for it._

_He was right to have a bad feeling about all of this._

_The man who was furthest from Dream, who seemed to be the head of the group, turned to him. In his hands was a long cloth, one that looked a bit dirty and... reeked of alcohol as well. Dream mentally and motionlessly cringed in disgust, and Nightmare would've done the same as well. Behind Dream, the other members of the group formed a type of barricade, preventing Dream from escaping. Dream didn't have anywhere near as much magic experience or capability as Nightmare did. He couldn't even teleport or use telekinesis! There were only a few spells Dream knew, only a few tricks he had, one of which was.... oh god no....._

_"Tell us something, Dream," the man began, walking closer. "Can you summon a... what's it called.... ecto body?"_

_"An ecto body....?" Dream repeated, dumbfounded. Then he let out an 'ah!' sound as he held up a hand, where a golden-colored layer of 'skin' had formed. "You mean this?"_

_"Yeah, that. Can you make one for your whole body?" He asked, smirking._

_"Um.... I can.... But......" He started, hesitant. "Nightmare said I shouldn't do it."_

_"Well, Nightmare isn't here, is he?" He asked. "It's alright, Dream. We won't hurt ya."_

_"Um.... o-only for a little bit....." He mumbled, forming the rest of his ecto body. A faint golden glow peeked out from under his clothes. "Um....."_

_A pair of hands grabbed onto Dream from behind, holding him still. The other members of the group started to rip his clothes off, exposing the golden ecto body beneath. The one in front of him stuffed the dirty rag into Dream's mouth, rather forcibly too. The sounds of rustling fabric and zippers could be heard, before Dream let out a cry of surprise as something poked him.... down there..... Dream shook his head furiously, doing his best to plead for them to not do this. One of them leaned down and spoke to Dream in a low, deep voice. The stench of alcohol and tobacco was sickening. Nightmare didn't know how Dream didn't puke right there._

_"If you tell anyone about this, we'll make sure you regret it."_

_Dream let out a shriek of pain into the rag as one of them inserted themselves into his body._

~~~~

Nightmare let out a strangled gasp as he pulled himself out of Dream's mindscape.

He staggered back a bit, trying to regain his composure, but nearly tripped over some of the things that were scattered about. He felt something running down his skull, and soon realized that it was tears. A light purple colored liquid slipping out of his eye sockets. Once he regained his balance, he looked back at the sleeping form of his brother. He was still sobbing helplessly, curling into a ball, as though protecting himself. His brother, who always had a stupid look on his face when sleeping and was always sprawled out in some weird way, was now sobbing in his sleep. Plagued by this new trauma.

It was as though something had snapped inside of Nightmare. If he had blood, it would be boiling. He didn't notice that his hands were trembling, clenching into fists. His magic was acting in line with his current mood, flaring up and charging up dangerously. He was going to kill that group of men for doing this. And he would get away with it, too.

Dream was the brightest light of this world. He was the embodiment of all positive feelings, hopes, and dreams. He was the greatest little brother anyone could ever ask for, and he was a great little helper. Sure, he wasn't the best at everything and he struggled to understand a lot, but if he knew what he was doing he could be quite handy. Dream would sit and listen to anyone's troubles. Whether they were a child, a teenager, an adult, or an elderly person. Even if it was Karen Green, a regular customer at their favorite bakery, who neither of the twins had much of a liking for. He was the main reason why Nightmare hadn't taken his own life yet.

But now Dream's light was tainted, bruised.... shattered, even. Forced into such activities at such a young age, when he wasn't prepared for such things. He hadn't even known what was going on, he was just trusting his gut instinct when it told him that something was wrong. Only if it had told him sooner. He'd been oblivious to the cruel ways of the world. He'd been oblivious to the existence of things like murder, abuse, and.... rape.... but now he'd been exposed to those disgusting things. He would, most likely, never be the same again.

Nightmare turned away from his brother and walked to the edge of the "room". The Tree, able to sense his feelings, seemed to agree with his intentions. The branches, vines, and leaves all moved out of his way. Knowing he had full use of his magic powers, the Tree of Feelings did not offer him a vine to gently let him down. Nightmare stood at the edge of the Tree, glaring down at the village with sharp eyes. His eyes were flaring a bright purple color, and he could feel the energy surging through his being. He turned himself into a mass of darkness and shot towards the village. He had some people to get revenge on for what they did to his brother.

His first target was the weakest one. He lived in a house near the outskirts of the village. A farmer who lived with his cousin and their two kids. It didn't take long for Nightmare to find him. In his intangible state, he walked through the wall and stood in the corner of the bedroom. The farmer was still drunk and messed up from what he and those other sick freaks had done. He scratched at his beard as he let out a groan. Only when the glow from Nightmare's eyes intensified did he finally notice his presence. As he turned around and opened his mouth to shriek, Nightmare flicked his finger and casted a spell to make the room soundproof. As the shriek left his mouth, it was already in effect. No one else could hear what was going on inside of the room.

"W-Who the hell are you!?" The farmer demanded, backing up against the wall. "What the fuck are you doing in my room!?"

Nightmare, with his hands behind his back, stepped out of the shadows. In the pale moonlight, he probably looked like a horrifying presence. All of the color left the man's face when he recognized the skeleton, being replaced by pure terror. The pictures framed up on the wall shook as his back slammed up against it, his breathing quick and uneven. Nightmare found slight enjoyment in his terror.

"What are you doing here, you disgrace!?" He sneered. Trying to make him intimidated in some sense. "How long have you been standing there!?"

"So... you think it's fun to rape little boys?" Nightmare questioned, his voice eerily calm. It didn't match with the absolutely livid expression on his face. "To hear them cry and scream, and be traumatized for life?"

"How did you.....!?" He began, before his voice filled with a growl. "That little bastard! We told him that we'd make sure he regrets telling anyone, especially you!"

"Dream didn't tell me," he replied. "I found out on my own."

"How in the hell.....!?" He grumbled. "How did you--!?"

"That's for me to know only," he cut him off. "I have my ways of finding out my brother's secrets."

The man and Nightmare were still in the room, neither of them moving. The negative feelings from him were creating a major power source for Nightmare, that idiot. But he supposed it couldn't be helped. He was not unaware of just how scary he could become, even when he wasn't trying to be scary. He'd terrified Dream numerous times before, of course unintentionally. Then there was that one time when he'd chased him through the village with a sandal, yelling in Latin. He'd never seen Dream run so fast before in his life.

Then, in a moment of (probably) sheer panic, the farmer grabbed the nearest weapon. It was a wooden baseball bat that was wrapped in barbed wire. With the weapon firmly grasped in his hands, the man ran at Nightmare. But Nightmare was faster. Nightmare was smarter. He'd been expecting the human to try and pull this trick. Take him by surprise, beat him to a bloody mess, and then maybe do the same thing he'd done to Dream. It didn't take much effort, thought, or time for him to react how he saw fit.

The farmer let out a gasp of air, blood gurgling in his throat and spilling out of his mouth. He froze in place, like Nightmare had turned him to stone. The baseball bat dropped from his hands and to the floor, and his eyes slowly turned themselves down. A long but thin arrow had pierced his abdomen, pulling his SOUL out behind him. His blood ran down the arrow and dripped onto the floor, staining the carpet red in small parts. Nightmare walked by him, not even paying attention to the wound on the man. He didn't care. Why would he? This man had raped his brother and didn't feel even a slither of guilt or regret. Someone like him was unworthy of any mercy.

"Burn in hell," Nightmare whispered with the most malicious, hateful, and scary voice he could muster.

And with that, he plucked the SOUL off of the arrow. The arrow dissolved and the magic used to make it returned to Nightmare's being. The blood shot out of the man's body, splattering all over the walls and staining the carpet. His body collapsed with a loud thud, but no one other than Nightmare heard it. He stared at the SOUL that was floating just above his hand. It was orange, which meant BRAVERY. There were little specks of black around the outside of it, which meant HATRED.

"It should be stupidity instead," Nightmare sneered as he crushed it in his hand.

He would've kept the SOUL intact, as well as the other SOULS, to drain them of their magical energy and give it to Dream. But these SOULS weren't pure in any way, shape, or form. And they were tainted by HATRED. No, he couldn't give such disgusting energy to his brother, who had already been broken enough today. For his whole life, he'd been broken enough. Nightmare left the last group member's house, and only once he was back in the Tree of Feelings did he release the soundproof spells he'd placed. He could just imagine the reactions of the people they live with.

When he did finally return to the Tree of Feelings, the husk of his mother's body welcomed him back with open arms. Or branches and leaves, rather. He'd already used his magic to dispose of the blood on his clothes, as well as clean up anything that could be traced back to him. When he placed his feet on the ground, the first thing he did was go and check on Dream. His brother had yet to stop crying, but at least he wasn't shaking as violently anymore. There was nothing he could do to give his brother better sleep, he could only cause nightmares.

So he returned to his own bed and finally let himself rest.

The next morning, he still somehow woke up much earlier than Dream.

Dream was always a heavy sleeper and, no matter what time he went to bed, he always woke up hours after Nightmare did. Nightmare walked closer towards the edge of the "room" and moved some of the leaves aside, so he could peek down at the village. As he'd suspected, there was a mass panic going on about the recently discovered corpses. He let the leaves fall back into place and headed back to his bed, where he picked up the book he'd been reading last night to continue it.

Hours later, he heard the sounds of Dream waking up. He was surprised that the massive storm of negativity from the village hadn't forced him out of his sleep, but he wasn't complaining. He needed the sleep, especially after all of that. He looked up from his book, which had changed to one about history, as he heard a few whimpers come from his brother. The other Guardian looked as though he was in pain as he sat up, biting his "lip" as another whimper came out.

"M-Morning, Nightmare...." Dream managed to say with a smile.

"Good morning, Dream," Nightmare replied. "Are you going out into the village today?"

"Um..... n-no..... I don't think I will....." He murmured, but he was able to hear it. "Um......"

"....... Dream," he began. "If there's something you need to tell me, then tell me. Nothing will happen to you because of it."

"That's a lie," he frowned, then realized what he had said and quickly tried to cover it up. "I-I mean--!!!"

"Dream. It's okay. I'm here," he told him. "I already know what happened. You don't have to be afraid."

Dream stared at him for a moment, his disbelief written all over his face. Like he was trying to comprehend what he'd just been told, and figure out how he should react. Then the tears and waterworks started all over again, golden-tinted liquid streaming down his face. Throwing the blankets off of him, he ran across the "room" and right into Nightmare's arms. He was sobbing again, hugging onto him for dear life. Nightmare rubbed circles into his upper back, letting him cry on his shoulder as much as he needed to.

No one hurt his brother and got away with it.


	2. A Willing Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream's never been good with magic or anything related to the arcane arts. He's always left that stuff to Nightmare, who was far better at using magic than he was. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous of his twin. But now Nightmare's time is limited, and his life rests in Dream's hands. He's desperate to save what's left of his brother and will do everything in his power to do that, even with the little magic he can control right now. But everything comes with a price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is inspired by the backstory of White Truffle from Food Fantasy.

"...... Cross?"

"Dream, long time no see."

Dream stood at the open door, blinking in surprise. He had not been expecting any visitors today, but the guards had told him that it was urgent business that could not wait for a scheduled appointment. Being the son of the Tree Spirit, who was this country's queen, he was treated like a valuable jewel. His older brother, Nightmare, was also treated the same way. His excessive love for books, knowledge, and the arcane arts caused them to enroll him in a private academy that was focused on magic. When he came back from the school, he'd agreed to put his magic to good use and helped the queen put an end to cults and other fiends. Dream hadn't seen him in a good few months, since he'd gone off on another mission.

Cross was one of Nightmare's close friends, and a good friend of Dream's, too. He was definitely the more reserved type, but it wasn't that he was shy. He just didn't like to talk about himself or be the center of attention. He'd run into a few months ago, before Nightmare had gone off on that mission. They'd made short talk then, as Dream was rather busy and Cross wanted to rest. It was rather late that day, too.

"Nightmare is your older brother, correct?" Cross asked him, probably just to make sure.

"Yes. You know that already, Cross," Dream replied with a smile, but then picked up on his grave tone. "Did something happen to him? I--"

"Please come with me," Cross cut him off, reaching into his pocket and showing a badge to him. "Nightmare and I need your help, right now. The situation is urgent, and the queen has called upon you to assist. This is an order."

Although he was filled with some doubts and a whole lot of confusion, Dream followed Cross and his other companions-- Epic and Chara-- to the one section of the castle he'd never been in. He felt a tidal wave of pressure and negative feelings wash over his being as he stepped foot into the area, and it nearly knocked the wind out of him. This entire section of the castle, which the queen had reserved for formal business purposes, was drowning in tension. It was completely different from all the times he'd walked by it, and completely different from the rest of the castle. He'd thought something was going on earlier, when some of the servants had ushered him into his bedroom and stayed with him rather than leave until they were needed again. But this.... what was going on?

Dream, Cross, Epic, and Chara walked past all of the areas he had known about. The rooms where the council held meetings, the rooms where the queen discussed affairs with foreign ambassadors and leaders. The surrounding servants were thinning out slowly, and soon the number of guards present was increasingly drastically. It was very unsettling. Completely different from the atmosphere he was used to. Dream felt like he'd walked into someone else's territory, and the tension in the air didn't make him feel any better about his worries regarding Nightmare.

After a bit of walking, they reached a sealed off library, which was nestled deep underground. Dream had only known that the dungeons were underground, and a few wine cellars. As the grand doors to the library were closed, and the four of them were inside, Cross gave Epic and chara orders to stay and guard the doors. Make sure no one came in and no one left unless ordered to. Their movements and convoluted routes, not to mention that even Epic wasn't making any jokes or smiling, confirmed that there was some kind of secret being kept here. Something was going on. As he and Cross scrolled past the endless shelves of books and wooden cases, he thought about how much Nightmare would've liked this place.

"Cross...." Dream began, his voice echoing in the large room. It didn't sound right to him. "This place is...."

"The queen's second reading room, where we keep reports of cults and magic from everywhere-- collected by the Royal Army Countermeasure Group, along with all kinds of corresponding research," Cross answered him.

Dream stared at the back of Cross's head, thinking for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say any of the doubts he had, Cross bluntly answered them himself. He didn't even turn or look over his shoulder at him.

"Entering this place requires the permission of a Royal Council Member or higher," Cross informed him.

Dream frowned a bit. The king and queen had promoted Nightmare to being one of their most trusted council members, as well as a close assistant to the Court Wizard.

"Then why....?" Dream started, wanting to ask why he had been brought to this place.

"Because we all believe that you may need to use it soon," he stated.

Cross suddenly halted in his footsteps, and Dream had nearly bumped into his backside. He peeked around him and saw that they had come to a tightly shut stone door. Cross only had to flick his wrist, the lights of the room reflecting off of a golden armband he was wearing, which had some intricate patterns engraved on it. But whatever that gesture or armband meant or could do, the stone door had started to quake. It let out loud, ear grating, grinding noises as it moved on its own. It sounded hundreds-- no, thousands-- times worse than nails on a chalkboard. When it opened, it revealed a stone staircase that led downwards in a spiral, and disappearing into deep darkness. A cold breeze swiftly blew by, tugging on Dream's clothes and causing the yellow cape around his shoulders to blow out behind him. Caught off guard, Dream shuddered at the chilly feeling. From the depths of the opened up area came a deep, but clearly pained wailing. He also sensed something familiar, and leaned forward.

"Let's go down," Cross suggested, but Dream had a feeling he didn't have much of any other choice.

".... What's down there?" He timidly asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The calm and stoic expression on Cross's face subtly twisted, showing some emotion on his face. Dream could see the disgust written on his face, but also the fear. He could sense the fear, too. When he opened his mouth, he said words that Dream thought he would never hear in his entire life.

".... It's where your brother is being kept."

When they got to the bottom of the staircase, they entered a room that looked similar to the dungeons. There was little to no lighting in here, and there wasn't that much space. Dream perked up when he saw two people up ahead, both skeletal monsters like himself and Cross. One was wearing mostly brown with multi-colored eyes, which were currently a deep blue and flaming red. The other had errors appearing all over his body and blue streaks down his face from his eyes. A smile spread across Dream's face as his pace picked up slightly, eager to greet his old friend and his guardian.

"Ink!" Dream greeted him, apparently startling.... something. A loud snarl tore through the air, and Cross and Error shared a look.

"Dream, it's good to see you again," Ink responded, turning to face him. "Please keep your voice down. Nightmare might accidentally injure himself."

As the Multiverse Guardian said this, he turned back around. He guided Dream to the end of the room, where the loud snarl had come from. He squinted his eyes to look into the darkness, but was absolutely horrified by what he saw. This.... being.... looked absolutely horrible. It had a twisted body with broken ribs and numerous cracks, a ferocious face with only one visible eye, said eye was letting off an eerie blueish-greenish glow, was being completely covered by a thick black goop that had a magical aura, and at least four appendages that resembled tentacles sprouted from the back. This being was the source of that pained wailing, and it radiated a powerful negative aura. Dream knew this aura better than anyone.

".... Cross said it...." Dream began, trying to get himself to stop shaking. ".... He's my brother....?"

Ink patted his back softly as he took in several deep breaths, trying to steel his nerves and maintain formality and professionalism. He tried to move his legs, or even his arms, but he was as still and stiff as a statue. The amount of negativity radiating off of Nightmare was practically suffocating him, fear creeping into his soul. Dream's gaze was fixed onto his brother's form, as distorted as it was. The cage was surrounded by thick iron poles, all of which were covered in runes that glowed in every color in existence. Blue strings were keeping Nightmare in place, probably so he didn't hurl himself into walls or try to escape.

"It wasn't just him," Ink said, and turned Dream to face two other cages in the room.

One of the cages was a desolate scene, with not much to see. The walls and floor were scorched to a deep and dark black, probably by what must've been a large fire or some other kind of spell. Only the runes on the iron poles remained. The other cage was.. slightly more normal, with some pillows and blankets in there to comfort the person. They were a small skeleton, shorter than even Ink, with tattered clothes and a blue bandana around their neck. There were some wounds that were healing, and he knew it was Ink's magic. Whatever damage had been done to him was something he could heal.

"Blueberry....!" Dream gasped, his devastation clear and evident in his voice. "What in the world happened to them!?"

Cross and Error stiffened up, but neither of the guards looked as though they would give him a clear answer. Ink's gaze did not turn to Dream, he was still staring at the monster that had become of his brother. His face had that look of knowledge that had always caught Nightmare's attention. The kind of face that said he knew something no one else did, or knew more about it, despite having not been there.

"He.... saw God," Ink morbidly stated.

"Blueberry is injured, the other person is dead, and my brother is.... like that. So if you're here to help, then stop talking in riddles," Dream quickly retorted, as Ink's answer had stunned him so much. "There is not one god."

"I'm not lying, at least. Some of the cults that your mother has hunted down and destroyed worship the corrupted and cruel demons, who've held rituals to try and call forth these unknown existences," he clarified, dismissing Error's glare with a flick of his scarf. ".... We don't know where they learned any of these methods, but they somehow summoned a projection of pure chaos."

"A chaos projection!?" He gasped, shocked beyond belief as his eyes widened further, which he didn't know was possible in this situation. "Nighty said that chaos projections are some of the most lethal divinities!"

"And he's right. Chaos cannot be contained or controlled once it is unleashed," he nodded, his voice grim. "Nightmare accepted the job of stopping the ritual. Those unearthly beings have been dealt with accordingly, but he was still dragged into the ritual."

Ink narrowed his eyes for a brief moment, as though thinking deeply about something. He remembered his and Error's eldest child, Paperjam, running up to him in a wild panic. It was out of character for him, as Paperjam was usually very calm and collected, and thought things through, although a bit stubborn. Paperjam had quickly explained to them that the "owner" of Dreamtale, the Tree Spirit, had requested their immediate assistance. Ink had a feeling that something bad would happen that day, but he never would've expected this of all things.

"You cannot.... look directly at pure chaos...."

Dream fell silent, turning once more to the caged monster. There were more cracks forming along his brother's body, and the black goop had nearly swallowed him whole by now. Another howl of pain escaped his mouth, loud and sharp enough to make Dream visibly flinch and scoot closer to Ink. The Multiverse Guardian gave him a sympathetic look.

"What should I do, Ink?" Dream asked him, tears threatening to spill out. "My magic is nowhere near as strong as Nighty's...."

"I don't know exactly," Ink spoke lowly as he closed his eyes and pointed at the scorched cage. "The other person who came back with your brother couldn't stand the changes and turned into a horrid monster. If you cannot manage to save your brother, then I can only...."

He let his words fall off, believing he did not need to finish his sentence. Dream silently thanked him for it. He didn't know if he could ever hear those words from another person's mouth, as he could barely stand hearing them in his own voice. Dream's gaze somehow returned to the charred interior of that cage. Whatever, or whoever, had been in there was obliterated. As though they never existed, not a single speck left of their being.

"Give me one chance to save him, Ink," Dream begged him. "But I'll need your help."

Ink, without missing a beat, nodded. "I have an idea that might work, but only if you're the one to perform the spell. I will do everything in my power to help you."

Dream began his task of saving Nightmare. His mother, fully aware of the situation at hand, had excused Dream from his duties as a prince so he could focus on the reversal of his brother's corruption. What little sanity Nightmare still had left, aside from fighting the chaotic corruption, was put entirely towards not attacking anyone who came into the room. Especially his brother, who, in his opinion, stupidly wanted to sleep next to him in the cage. Dream had open and unlimited access to the Royal Council's reading room, and many scholars who had studied both divinities and magic were brought in to aid him. Cross, Epic, and Chara had to remind him and even force him to take breaks so he could eat and sleep.

Exactly 135 days have passed since Dream's job began.

With the combined support of the Royal Council and Multiversal beings like Ink, they found the means to control the chaos contamination from spreading further. Dream's magic had continued to strengthen with the more he used it and practiced the appropriate spells. Whenever he performed a spell successfully, he would get starry eyed. Ink could only watch as his friend was overjoyed about his successes, unsure of how to warn him about the drastic consequences. As they had yet to discover how exactly to remove and reverse the chaos contamination plaguing Nightmare, Error suggesting using that as an opportunity.

"You have to tell him eventually," Error whispered to him. "It's the only way to save Nightmare. He needs to know the consequences."

"I know, Error.... I know...." Ink sighed in response. "I just.... I don't know if he'll be able to handle it."

Ink's suggested solution to Nightmare's corruption was a type of ritual. It would reverse the effects of the corruption, though some physical traits would remain, such as the cracks on his skull, though they would heal with time. In order for the ritual to work, Dream had to use pure positivity magic, as well as love. But he also had to take Dream, at the end of the day, to a separate and closed off room to sit him down. It was then that Ink finally broke the news to him about the consequences that would take place as a result of the ritual. Dream listened to every word and considered everything very carefully, taking time to accept things as they were. He finally agreed to it once he had accepted it all, and the ritual took place the next day.

After all, everything comes with a price.

Dream desperately clung to his brother's torso, beyond relieved to know that he was himself again. Even if he couldn't see through this pitch darkness clouding his vision now, he knew his brother was there. Even if he couldn't hear him, he knew he was there, and he could feel his SOUL's radiation. He could feel the messages he was trying to say through them, and he could respond back with the same method. He knew that their mother was holding a feast to celebrate their victory and success, and he had encouraged Nightmare to go and enjoy himself. But his older twin refused to and declined the offer, insisting that he would much rather be with Dream. Especially now that he was like this.

 _"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry...."_ Nightmare said through his SOUL messages, one of his hands gently caressing Dream's cheek.

 _"It's alright, brother,"_ Dream replied, his own SOUL pulsing out the message. _"Everything will be alright as long as you're okay."_

 _"But I'm not okay,"_ he argued, his gentle grip on Dream tightening a bit. He faintly felt his brother's tears splash onto his skull. _"How can I be okay when you're... you're like this?"_

Dream was silent, unsure of what to say.

 _"You're deaf. You're blind. You're mute. Your forearms were completely shattered. Your magic is all used up,"_ Nightmare listed, his aura full of shame and guilt. _"Oh god, Dream...."_

 _"...... It really is alright, brother,"_ Dream replied, leaning into his brother's body. _"Everything will be alright. I'm alive. You're alive."_


	3. 404ink: Hellfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Error404 doesn't think it's right for him to be in love with a soulless being like Ink. Even though he himself is soulless, he still has emotions, while Ink doesn't. Torn between his love & lust for Ink and his desire to be perfect and achieve his goals, his mind spirals into hallucinations as he confronts these feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ship is one of my guilty pleasures and I've seen like NOTHING for it? So I took matters into my own hands and make a oneshot for it, featuring one of my favorite Disney villain songs. Yes, I'm aware that in canon Error404 is with Alphatale's Chara and only has eyes for Chara.
> 
> But here we go.

**(Some Error404 x Ink content for MY soul. This ship is my guilty pleasure and I can't find anything for it anywhere. So I've taken matters into my own hands by combining my guilty pleasure ship with one of my favorite Disney villain songs.)**

**"WhAt'S tHe MaTtEr WiTh Me...?"**

404 mumbled things under his breath, swiping across the file screen with his finger, eyes lazily looking over the code he'd pulled up. This code was part of the seal that kept the Omega Timeline protected. He would be able to crack it eventually, but it would take some time and heavy concentration. And, clearly, he was not very concentrated. He didn't have eyes for the Omega Timeline or even care for its existence, it was his student who had wanted to find it. For the purpose of destroying it, of course.

The sound of a racket behind him brought 404 back to his senses. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, seeing that a few of his lackeys were roughhousing with each other. Scoffing in clear displeasure, he rolled his eyes and redirected his attention. The sound of glass shattering made him growl audibly, closing the file screen and storming out of the area. Behind him, he could hear X!Gaster scolding and criticizing the henchmen. 404 chuckled to himself.

He opened up a random portal and walked through, not really caring where he ended up. He was easily the strongest person in the entire Multiverse. It would be asinine **(thanks Revali)** for him to be intimidated by walking through AUs. Error was one of the most anti-social, introverted people he knew and he was hardly ever worried about entering AUs. 

However, as soon as he stepped into this AU, he felt dread sink in. He immediately recognized this place. This was.... his world. Alphatale, the very first AU that was created. He felt sick to his nonexistent stomach, but he was on the surface right now, not in the Underground. That meant he wouldn't be seen by anyone. That was most likely the case, anyway. In his AU's history, the monsters had won the war and destroyed the humans. But his mother, the scientist who had come up with the method of their victory, had moved everyone into the Underground once she became their queen.

Though... he couldn't help but wonder.... about how they all were doing now. It couldn't hurt to take just a small look around the Underground, could it? 404 stuffed his hands into his pockets, saying a small prayer under his breath. He didn't really have any religious beliefs or faith in the gods that did exist, but he would do it just in case one decided to help him out. He would have to keep himself hidden, though. No one could see him.

Especially _her_.

404 shuddered at the memories of his mother. It was best if those dark times of his childhood stayed in the depths of his mind, abandoned and forgotten. Yes, it was best for him to not focus on those right now. So far nothing much had changed from when he'd last been there. The signs of clear devastation were still plentiful, and reconstruction was slow. The whole AU was slowly crumbling to pieces. If this continued, the world would fall apart and be swallowed by the Void.

After some time, he found himself in the castle. He stopped abruptly, blinking as he glanced around. When had he gotten here? Why hadn't he noticed it? This was exactly where she would be, if not in her lab. He took a glance around the room. It looked like a small living room of some sort, with a crackling fire going and shelves filled to the brim with books. Hanging above the fireplace was a painting of the Astral Mother, the Queen of Alphatale. He may have hated her guts and wanted her dead, but if there was anyone who could figure out a way to solve this, it would be her. Probably. Maybe.

" **Oh AsTrAl MoThEr, YoU kNoW I aM a RiGhTeOuS mAn, Of My ViRtUe I aM jUsTlY pRoUd...** " 404 began, approaching the fireplace as he lowered the hood of his jacket.

404 had been the one who stopped Infected. His brother had died to his hands and his world was permanently damaged because of him, still in the process of recovery. The vile woman who gave him life had made no efforts to try and stop him from rampaging across the world. She watched the events unfold with interest, loving the results of it. A sickening demon she was, that woman. He'd lost his sanity and mortality as a result of the fight, but he'd done what he'd needed to. And now he was on the path of fixing the whole Multiverse.

" **AsTrAl MoThEr, YoU kNoW I'm So MuCh PuReR tHaN tHe CoMmOn, VuLgAr, WeAk, LiCeNtIoUs CrOwD.....** "

404 lifted his head, locking his eyes on the painting before him. Standing this close to the fire, the bright glow of it turned the white fabric of his jacket and his bones a light orange. He basked in its warmth, even if it was a little much with the jacket on. It had been too long since he'd last been able to enjoy the pleasant warmth of a fire.

" **ThEn TeLl Me, MoThEr, WhY I sEe HiM dAnCiNg ThErE...** " 404 said aloud, squeezing his eyes shut. " **WhY hIs SmOlDeRiNg EyEs StIlL sCoRcH mY sOuL....** "

404 knew he didn't have a soul. He had lost it a long time ago, though he couldn't remember exactly when. That was how he'd lost his mortality, so he assumed it has been around the time he'd fought Infected. But he remembered what it was like to have one, and he still had all of his feelings and emotions. Each time he thought back to that moment, when those eyes looked at him with such displeasure, he flinched.

404's eyes cracked open slowly, looking into the flames. Perhaps he was hallucinating it, which wouldn't surprise him in the slightest, but the flames were starting to rise and take on a form. It was a small form at first, but it was steadily growing with each passing second. It looked vaguely like a skeleton monster. The clothes the form wore were barely distinguished from the body, all being made of flames. But he did see the two long stretches of fabric that came from around the neck, along with the distinct form of exposed feet.

" **I fEaR hIm, I sEe HiM!** " 404 cried, messing with the strings of his jacket. " **ThE sUn CaUgHt In HiS rAiNbOw EyEs Is BlAzInG iN mE oUt Of AlL cOnTrOl!** "

He thought back to the festival he had attended not too long ago. He'd always watched Ink from a distance, and it wasn't uncommon for him to swipe one of his drawings every now and then. But that had been the first time he'd seen the Protector of the AUs up close, and that was the first time the Protector had seen him at all. The way he'd danced that evening was mesmerizing. But that had also been the same evening when Ink had scolded him for being rude to some children.

" **LiKe FiRe! HeLlFiRe! ThIs FiRe In My BoNeS...** " 404 cried, taking a few steps away from the fireplace, the heat becoming too much to bear.

With every step back he took, the skeleton formed from the flames took one forward. The eyes of the phantom were not hostile or deceptive, and while they didn't hold much of a look to them at all, they were comforting. When the fiery apparition extended its arms out to him, offering him a warm embrace. He knew he was hallucinating it all, but he didn't care. The fire was so close now, he would've definitely been getting burned up if this was real. Their faces were so close... he could now see a few little details. Like the intricate shapes of the eyes and what was supposed to be the little splotch of ink on his cheek.

" **ThIs BuRnInG dEsIrE... iS tUrNiNg Me To SiN!** "

404's voice broke as he pulled away from the fiery hallucination, gritting his teeth. The hallucination flashed him a hurt look, a hand pressing to its chest as it fell apart. He would be lying if he said that his heart didn't ache a bit when he caught sight of that. However, that guilt was short-lived as he realized his hallucination had only changed, and hadn't ended. No matter where he looked, he was met with the cold and judgemental eyes of his allies and... her.

" **It'S nOt My FaUlT! I'm NoT tO bLaMe!** " He defended himself, trying to shut out their accusations. " **It Is ThE ArTiSt SkElEtOn-- ThE dEmOn WhO sEnT tHiS fLaMe!** "

_"Through your most grievous faults."_

" **IT'S NOT MY FAULT! If In ThE CrEaToRs' PlAnS tHeY mAdE tHeIr DeViL sO mUcH sTrOnGeR tHaN aNy OtHeR mAn!!** "

" **PrOtEcT mE, MoThEr-- DoN't LeT tHiS dEmOn CaSt HiS sPeLl, DoN't LeT hIs FiRe SeAr My VeRy BoNeS!** "

404 reached into the pocket of his jacket, feeling around hastily for something in particular. He pulled out a piece of cloth, a small scarf that had been given to him as a gift during the festival. There was a small 'I' stitched into one of the corners of the scarf, and it still carried the faint smell of paint. Ink had given this to him. He turned his eyes to his mother, who had taken her place in front of her painting, and held the scarf up for them all to see.

" **DESTROY INK FOREVER AND LET HIM TASTE THE FIRES OF HELL!** " 404 shrieked.

Another apparition began to rise from the fireplace. This one was made of smoke and once again had taken on the face of Ink. He was reminded that this was all a hallucination by how his mother, proud and narcissistic, stepped aside to help the smoke phantom step out of the fireplace. As though without hesitation, 404 ran up to throw his arms around him. But as soon as he did, the smoke phantom dissipated.

" **Or ElSe LeT hIm Be MiNe AnD mInE aLoNe....** "

The hallucinations around him vanished into the air, as though they hadn't been there at all. Which was true. 404 looked behind him as he heard a portal opening, being met with Bill coming through. He was quick to brush himself off and straighten himself up, putting on his stoic expression as he turned to face him.

"Ah, there you are!" Bill grinned. "I've been looking for you all over! I thought I'd find you in Alphatale, but _here_ of all places?"

" **YoU cAmE lOoKiNg FoR mE fOr A rEaSoN,** " 404 scoffed, crossing his arms. " **StAtE yOuR bUsInEsS oR lEaVe.** "

"Well... remember how you told us to keep Ink in that cell?" He asked. "Yeaaaah he's.... kinda gone."

" **WhAt!?** " He growled, hands balling into fists. " **YoU hAd OnE jOb! JuSt OnE!** "

"Don't yell at me! If anything, yell at Error! He's the one who was supposed to keep watch!" He defended, holding his hands up. "We searched everywhere-- he wasn't in your lair."

" **BuT hOw....? ErRoR wOuLdN't....** " 404 trailed off, briefly recalling how close the two had been earlier. " **NeVeRmInD. GeT oUt Of My AU, yOu IdIoT!** "

"But 404--"

" **I'lL fInD hIm,** " 404 cut him off with a growl, turning back to the fireplace. " **I'lL fInD hIm EvEn If I HaVe To TeAr ApArT eVeRy AU iN tHe MuLtIvErSe!** "

Bill pursed his lips, contemplating what to do. After a harsh glare from 404, he opened up a portal and darted through. With any distractions now gone, he turned and headed for the fireplace once more. His arms were shaking as he clutched the scarf tightly.

" **HeLlFiRe... DaRk FiRe.... NoW 'pRoTeCtOr', It'S yOuR tUrN.** " He held the scarf up, remembering that smile. " **ChOoSe Me Or YoUr PyRe... Be MiNe Or YoU wIlL BURN!!** "

404 balled the scarf up in his hands, throwing it into the blazing fire. As the fabric was swallowed by the flames, a mixture of emotions in his chest clashed. There was an odd feeling of relief, like he'd been freed from some type of shackles. But there was also pain.

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the Omega Timeline, a small group of four was negotiating. The Guardian of Positivity grabbed Ink's wrist, thanking the glitch and hurrying him into the Omega Timeline's borders. Ink looked behind him and flashed Error a smile, before disappearing as the portal closed. CORE!Frisk exchanged a few more words with Error, watching as he left as well, to avoid any further suspicion.

"May God have mercy on him...." CORE!Frisk sighed, rubbing their arm in discomfort. "May God have mercy on us....."

A portal to 404's lair opened up, and the owner of the world himself stepped through. With the gleam of determination burning in his eyes, he stormed through it. He headed over to his map of the Multiverse, eyes searching it for the possible places he could've run off to. His top guesses right now were Underswap, Reapertale, or wherever Dream was staying.

" **BuT hE wIlL bE mInE oR hE... wIlL.... bUrN!!!!!!** "

Yes.... he was close to having one of the many things he wanted. Ink wasn't the Chara he remembered, but he was still someone who he wanted. He'd always been interested in the Protector of the AUs, but his unpredictable behavior had been pretty offputting. Then he'd taken Error in as his student and had almost forgotten about Ink, until just recently. He'd perfectly designed a cell to hold Ink prisoner, just so he wouldn't lose the chance to get close to him.

But if Error had been the one who let him out.... being betrayed by his own student. He never would've thought it would happen like this. He'd honestly thought it would've happened from Error getting fed up with his high expectations and all. But it made sense, he supposed. He'd known about his status of frenemies with Ink, and from his observations of that night alone, their relationship had escalated from that.

He grabbed the pendant around his neck, tightening his hold as he thought of who he wanted to contact. Even through the pendant, he could feel the dark aura radiating off of the other end.

" **NiGhTmArE, wHeRe HaS yOuR bRoThEr BeEn StAyInG?** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally the only reason I know the word "asinine" exists is because of Revali. Thanks man, my 2nd favorite Champion ability.


	4. Yandere!Cream: Lovesick (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Contains sexual/explicit language and violence.
> 
> This is gonna be shorter than the previous three. Honestly I forgot this book existed?? Oof.

" **Cross, why do you keep staring at my brother like that?** "

Nightmare's words, although laced with his annoyance and displeasure, had no registration in Cross's mind. The boy's mind and eyes were too occupied with his brother, just like he'd said. He was slouched forward in his chair, his elbows on the table and hands against his face. Nightmare groaned in disgust as he could practically see the hearts coming off of him, not to mention the sickening positive energy seething from him.

Dream was on the other side of the park square, sitting on the bench by the fountain. He wasn't alone, of course. He was chatting with Ink and Blue. The three of them were close enough for Cross to hear their conversation. He didn't have to worry about either of the two other Star Sanses dating Dream. Ink had Error and Blue had Dust. But he always kept a lookout for any signs of flirting that was more than platonic fun and games.

"Oh come on Ink! You've gotta forgive me by now!!" Dream pleaded, grabbing Ink by the shoulders. "I didn't mean it!"

Ink looked a little conflicted, his eye colors and pupil shapes changing as he blinked. He always did have a difficult time holding a grudge against Dream and Blue, and not just because they were his friends. They were just too cute to be angry at for long, if at all. His grudge crumbled again when Dream started to put on a certain face, a deep frown tugging at his own face as his guilt flooded into his eyes. Damn Dream and his charismatic cuteness.

"Alright alright, it's fine. I forgive ya," Ink sighed, admitting defeat. "Just... don't do something like that again, capeesh?"

"Capeesh!" Dream's eyes lit back up as he threw his arms around Ink's torso, pulling him into a crushing hug. Ink's cheeks puffed up as a small 'crack' was heard from his body. "Oh, thank you so much! I promise you, I'll never let something like that happen again!"

"It better not...." Ink mumbled his breath, struggling to speak as Dream crushed his body. "Dream... my spine...."

Cross didn't really care for the empty threat that came from Ink. He was only focused on Dream, that bright ray of happiness that lit up his world. He was so focused on him that he didn't even hear Nightmare's gagging from the intensifying positive aura he was giving off. If they were living in a cartoon world, there definitely would've been hearts flying off of him by now. He just loved everything about Dream.

The way he laughed. The way he smiled so warmly and sweetly. How his eyes were so friendly and innocent. He was just so understanding and welcoming with everyone... he was too good for this world. He was too good for any of the worlds in the Multiverse. He was everything Cross could have ever wanted and more. He was perfect. And Cross couldn't help but blush each time he laid eyes upon him or thought of him.

Cross was only brought out of his daydreaming fantasy when Nightmare jabbed at his arm with one of his tentacles. Cross knew his boss didn't like the way he obsessed over his brother, but he didn't normally interrupt him unless he was getting too creepy. When he looked over at him, he saw the serious look on his face. Nightmare put a finger up to his lips and cocked his head to one side, gesturing over to their right. Cross followed his gaze over to a group of three people. He let the Guardian of Negative Feelings take him over to the group, the two of them hiding behind one of the outrageously large trees.

The group was made entirely of humans. One of them had blue-green eyes and brown hair, short, and looked like an average anime protagonist. Another had brown eyes and hair, several ear piercings, and looked like some washed up e-boy. The last one had dirty blonde hair with reddish highlights and hazel eyes, and his face said "Nice guy" in that asshole way. Cross felt himself tense up and his eyes narrowed. Nightmare had pointed this group out to him for a reason, and not just to get his attention off of Dream.

"That one's a real cutie," one whispered. "I didn't think monsters-- let alone skeleton monsters-- could be that cute."

"Which one? There's three of them over there." Another pointed out. "I think the yellow one is the cutest."

"Definitely that one," the other agreed. "God, I wonder what he'd sound like being pulled down onto my dick."

"I bet he'd sound better than Jeremy's ex!" The Nice Guy joked, grinning.

"Do you really have to bring that up?" The one named Jeremy groaned, glaring. "I'm still pissed that fucking bitch cheated on me with that nerd. And all because I raised my voice and threw something at her once!"

"Skeletons can summon those ecto-body things, can't they?" The first one asked. "I bet he can summon a female body better than any of these fake ass sluts around here."

Cross was absolutely seething with rage. So much to the point where Nightmare had to keep his tentacles wrapped around his body, so he wouldn't run out there and kill them right then. But it was definitely hard to not let go, as he himself wanted to tear those people to shreds. Dream was far too sweet and innocent to be hearing such inappropriate things, especially when the person they were aimed towards was him! Did they have no basic respect!?

"Have him make some nice, big, bouncy tits." One suggested. "Rub his clit till he cries."

"Hey, since the ecto-body is just an extension of their magic, does that mean he can adjust it to any desire?" Another asked curiously.

"Only one way to find out, my friends." Jeremy smirked nastily. "Only one way to find out."

Cross's body tensed even more and his teeth gritted together, a low growl escaping him. They were just discussing a potential plan to harass and assault Dream! He watched with unfathomable hatred as the group of three walked off, glaring right into the backs of their skulls. He then turned his sharp glare to Nightmare. Why hadn't he let go of him!? He could've killed those bastards before they could make such a horrible plan!

" **Don't worry, you'll be able to kill them soon,** " Nightmare assured him. Cross relaxed a little. " **But if I'd let you run out there, Dream would've noticed.** "

He was right. Cross felt a rush of fear as he glanced around the one side and saw the Star Sanses were no longer talking away carelessly, and that Dream was staring in their direction. Nightmare placed him on the ground and used a tentacle to point in the direction the three went in.

" **Go. Go and give them hell,** " Nightmare instructed him. " **But keep one alive. Unconscious and in agony, but alive, then call Killer. I'll keep Dream distracted. If you need anything, call.** "

He placed Cross on the ground, withdrawing his tentacles. Cross wasted no time in going after the trio of humans, while Nightmare went to keep his brother occupied. He remembered their faces clear as the day they were in. His chest momentarily puffed up with a feeling of pride, honored that Nightmare was entrusting some a vital job to him. But he could relish that pride later. Right now he had a job to do.

He found them by one of the more unpopulated areas of the park. This area had plenty more trees, so it was easier for Cross to stay hidden while approaching their small group. As it turned out, they were, in fact, making a plan on how they would confront Dream. Cross fought down a scowl as he listened to them. He felt a violent urge as one of them suggested that Dream's personality was a fake, that there was no way he was that nice to people. They were so occupied with their sickening agenda that they didn't even hear or notice Cross's approach.

But they definitely noticed it when Nice Guy let out a cry of pain. Blood poured from the new wound in his chest, where a large and bright red knife had skewered through him with ease. Cross stood behind him, grinning as he yanked the knife out of his body. The blood gushed forward like a shower onto his two friends, his body collapsing to the ground and making a pool. Cross's eyes portrayed all of his fury at the group as he lunged towards his next two victims.

Just because of their SOULS alone, humans were stronger than monsters. That had been proven by the ancient Human & Monster War that plagued the history of every AU, or almost every AU anyway. But with time, and with the monsters sealed in the Underground, humans had let go of their ways and knowledge of magic, embracing technology instead. That gave Cross an advantage over them, as they had no magic knowledge that they could use against him.

But even if they did have that power, their magic alone was nowhere near enough to conquer Cross's love for Dream. He thought of his beautiful light as he slit the blue-green eyed one's throat, nearly beheading him entirely with how large his knife was. His smiling face and innocent eyes. How happy he got to see Cross everytime. He was worth this mess. All of this bloodshed, all of this murder, was all for him. And Cross would do it again and again, no matter who it was or how bloody it got.

The last one-- the one named Jeremy-- was much tougher than the other two. He had some fight in him. Cross wasn't very surprised that the e-boy was the one who acted all tough. He had managed to pull out a pocket knife, which was really pathetic when put up next to Cross's blade. Cross didn't even flinch as the blade dug into his forearm, though he felt the pain. Jeremy's eyes widened in fear as he realized the pocket knife wasn't very effective against bones. Cross smiled eerily at him, yanking the pocket knife from his grasp. He would kill him with his own weapon.

Nightmare's words rang through his head. He wanted at least one of them alive. Cross swore aloud as he remembered this. But he supposed it was best that Jeremy was the one left alive. He seemed to be the ringleader of the whole thing. He started to apply force to his pressure points instead. Once Jeremy was out cold beneath him, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Killer. A minute or so later, the murderous skeleton was by his side.

"So... this the one the boss wants?" Killer asked, prodding Jeremy's side with his foot. "Gross."

"He'd be dead if I didn't remember that," Cross huffed. "Just take him back to the castle."

"Eh? What's that?" He questioned, kneeling down and grabbing Jeremy's arm. "A ring?"

Cross leaned forward as Killer pried something off of Jeremy's hand. It was, indeed, a ring. A beautiful ring at that. It was made of white gold and had a shining pink diamond carved like a heart. Killer handed it to Cross so he could see it better. This ring had to be worth a lot.

"You have the hots for Dream, don't you?" Killer asked. "Why not give it to him as a gift?"


	5. Yandere!Cream: Lovesick (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is gonna be even shorter than the last one, oof--

"Wow.... it's already so late out...."

" **I guess it is. It seems that your friends have already left.** "

"Huh? Oh! I... I guess they have..."

" **Don't look so down. Would you like me to walk you back home?** "

"You'd do that?"

Nightmare chuckled as he coiled one of his tentacles around Dream's body. The younger of the twins let out a sound of surprise as he was lifted off of the ground, but his surprise soon died down. He bobbed up and down slightly as Nightmare walked, though he didn't mind one bit. It had been a while since they'd last gotten to spend some time together. Dream was just glad that they'd gotten to spend some time together today, though he did notice how insistent Nightmare was on it. It wasn't like his brother, but hey, he wasn't complaining.

He was a little upset that Ink and Blue had left without him, but then again, it was entirely possible that he couldn't follow them wherever they'd gone off to. The two did get pulled away by their boyfriends, after all. So it wasn't impossible that they were.... doing things. Or they could have just wanted some time together. Dream smiled wide at the thought of his two favorite couples. Nightmare glanced back at him.

" **What are you thinking about?** " He asked him. " **Something mushy?** "

"Oh, just about how cute Ink and Blue are with their boyfriends," Dream replied. "I wish I had a boyfriend. I wanna go on dates too!"

(Everyone reading that sentence: b r u h --)

Nightmare hummed thoughtfully. " **Well, if you really want one, you should look. Didn't I hear you talking to Ink about a crush you have?** "

"Maaaaaybe," he said, putting on an innocent look.

" **If you tell me who that is,** " he began. " **I might be able to help take care of it.** "

"Nighty, I appreciate that offer, but I know you'll just bash him over the head." He frowned, shaking his head. "So no, I won't tell."

" **But it's a guy.** "

Dream groaned as he rested his chin on Nightmare's tentacle. His brother chuckled at his defeated response. Nightmare's phone dinged and he pulled it out, checking the notifications. Dream picked his head up, trying to lean forward to get a glimpse of his screen. Nightmare didn't even look at him as he shifted his tentacle, moving Dream out of seeing distance. The Guardian of Positivity pouted and rested his head back down.

He let out a long and heavy exhale. His eyelids were feeling heavy. His body was relaxing on its own in Nightmare's grip. He didn't even pay much attention to anything around him. Sleep sounded very nice right now. He'd used up all of his energy during the day, didn't he deserve to sleep by now? He hadn't even noticed that Nightmare had stopped walking. He let out a small moan as his eyes closed, embracing the sleep that enveloped him.

Nightmare glanced over at his brother. He shifted his tentacle again, bringing Dream close to him. He placed a hand on his head gently, checking to see if the spell had worked. When he verified that it had and Dream was in a deep sleep, he spoke.

" **Alright Cross, you can come out now.** "

The ex-royal guard walked out from behind the tree he'd been hiding by. His clothes were a bit covered in blood from his earlier activities, but that wasn't what he was focused on. Cross had sent him a text to stop what he was doing and put Dream to sleep. He wasn't a stranger to having to use magic to make Dream sleep. Back when they were younger, he'd had to do it quite often to get him to sleep. But Cross hadn't said why he needed to do that.

" **Explain yourself,** " Nightmare demanded, crossing his arms. " **I don't mind having to put a spell on my brother, but if you asked for that only to obsess over him while he sleeps--!** "

"It's nothing like that... though he is cute, even when sleeping," Cross hummed. His eyes flickered to Dream and stayed there longer than Nightmare would've liked. "There was someone waiting for Dream. They looked sketchy... so I had Horror and Dust take them back to the castle."

" **Sketchy, huh. We'll see when we get there.** " He replied. " **Though... there could be more waiting.** "

"So is Dream gonna stay with us at the castle tonight!?" He asked excitedly, eyes shining with hope.

" **Yes.... but he's not staying in the same room as you.** " Nightmare glared at him. " **I know better than to trust you with that.** "

"Aww...."


	6. Errorink: Little Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of Little Nightmares II. That being said, this contains spoilers for the game, specifically the ending. If you do not want spoilers for the game, do not read the next sentence. This uses the theory that Six is The Lady, since Mono is the Thin Man and they're stuck in a time loop.
> 
> I'm actually not even sure if this counts as a oneshot or if its a short story. But either way, enjoy.

Two little figures walked down the hallway, their footsteps light and their fingers interlocked.

Ink glanced around wherever the light from his flashlight would reach. Sweat trickled down the front of his face, all thanks to the rush of fear and adrenaline he'd gotten from that crazy pursuit of the mannequins not too long ago. He hadn't told Error about that yet. Though he had his doubts that the other would want to hear about it. He already had plenty of nightmares from that place called the Maw, not to mention the hunter and the hell they'd experienced at the school.

" **HeY... InK.... cAn I aSk YoU sOmEtHiNg?** " Error spoke, and although he kept his voice low, it still echoed around them.

"Yeah...." Ink replied. Underneath the paper bag he wore on his head, he was smiling. Error hardly ever asked him anything! "What's on your mind, buddy?"

" **FiRsT oF aLl, DoN't CaLl Me ThAt,** " he scowled lowly. " **SeCoNdLy... WhY aRe YoU hElPiNg Me?** "

That question made Ink falter in his steps a bit, but he was quick to regain himself. He moved the flashlight around, checking the walls and floor for any signs of danger or a way out. He really couldn't understand what Error meant by that question. He was so focused on it that he hadn't really acknowledged his bitter comment. Not that those kinds of responses were uncommon from the glitch.

"What do you mean by that?" Ink asked, hoping he wouldn't annoy the other.

" **It'S jUsT.... yOu CoUlD'vE lEfT mE aS sOoN aS tHe HuNtEr WaS dEaD... aS sOoN aS wE hIt LaNd, YoU cOuLd'Ve LeFt Me...** " Error began. " **WhEn ThOsE 'sTuDeNtS' kIdNaPpEd Me, YoU cAmE tO sAvE mE... wE'rE bOtH cApAbLe Of SuRvIvInG oN oUr OwN, sO.... wHy?** "

Ink let out a small sigh, slowing to a stop in his walking. Error looked up from the ground when he did that, a questioning look on his face. Ink turned his head around to face him, but because of the paper bag on his face he had to turn his body a bit too. He knew the glitch couldn't see it, but Ink was still smiling at him. He knew that Error was capable of surviving on his own. He'd made it not only out of the Maw, but out of some place called the Nest too. He was proud of Error for how far he'd come and all the challenges he'd faced.

"Well, Error... it's because you're my friend, even if you don't think I'm yours," Ink told him. "Even if you are grouchy and grumpy like a cat, I know that you'll do the same for me!"

Ink had been hoping for some kind of reaction from the other. Even a deep frown or roll of his eyes would've done the trick. But his face was still as blank as when he'd broken that one student's head into pieces with his bare hands. Ink sighed internally. Before all of this, before this hellish world came into existence in their once beautiful Multiverse, Error had been so lively. He would react to things in different ways, though mostly angry ways, not just blinking or nodding. Ink missed that. What had Error gone through to made him change so drastically?

But Ink wanted to lift his spirits up a bit. They had a long ways ahead of them, and they wouldn't be able to find their way out of this hospital/morgue if they were being all gloomy and distracted.

"Right?"

~~~~

Ink sat alone on the small chair, sniffling and crying into his knees.

He didn't know how long he'd been stuck down here. Had it been months, years, or just days or hours? He'd lost all concept of time, not that he really had much of any to begin with. It was cold down here, colder than it had been in the morgue or in the pouring rain. Everyone he looked, all he saw were the pulsating strips of flesh and the large eyes that stared into his being. His paper bag had been discarded long ago as a sign of him refusing to be the prey of this cruel world, but now he wanted it back. It would've provided at least a little comfort.

"H... h-he did it...." Ink sobbed to himself, not bothering to wipe away the tears on his face. "He dropped me... like I'm some old toy...."

Those final moments flashed before his eyes again. But whether it was the doing of his own self or the manipulative powers of the fleshy mass around him, he didn't know. He'd put all of his faith and trust in Error when he made that final jump, just as the one path out of the collapsing Signal Tower was crumbling under his feet. Error had caught him, but... Ink had sensed that something was wrong. He wasn't pulling him up. Error... Error had dropped him. A cold look of apathy and indifference on his face, empty eyes staring right into his.

His last words had been him screaming his friend's name as he fell into the dark abyss below.

Ink shuddered at the memory. All it did was prompt him to cry even more. He could feel the dozens of eyes around him watching him intently, observing his every action. He didn't care. Ink lowered his legs down from his chest, the fabric over his knees stained with his tears. His lip quivered as he gripped the edge of the seat, his whole body shaking.

"Why now? Why after we'd already come so far... why would he leave me behind?" Ink asked himself. "Did... did our friendship really mean nothing to him...? Was I just some tool for him to use...!?"

Ink grabbed the sides of his head, looking down in frustration. His breathing was picking up, thousands of thoughts running through his mind at once. He kept asking himself why Error would betray him. He kept making excuses for him, telling himself that Error hadn't meant to, that he was tired after the forced transformation of his body thanks to the Signal Tower's transmissions. He kept asking himself what he had done wrong, what he had done to make Error hate him more than he had before.

"P-Please!! I'll do anything!!! Error!!! Don't leave me here, come back!!! Come back for me, please!!! Error!!!! ERROR!!!!!! Please.... please.... I don't wanna be alone...."

~~~~

Error wiped his mouth as he stood up from the fallen body.

His raincoat, once a bright and clean yellow, was now covered with mud and old blood stains. But he had to satisfy his hunger pains somehow, even if it wasn't the cleanest or most moral way of doing so. He didn't even bother glancing at the dead rat as he began to walk away from it. Food was best when it was warm and fresh, unlike that bread and sausage he'd been offered in the Maw. Though he had to admit he was grateful for their offers, otherwise he wouldn't be here now.

...

What was that?

Error turned his head to the head. To his right there was a small stream, one that ran out from the city, it looked like. There was something moving along the surface of the water, floating along like the rafts he'd travelled on. He approached it cautiously, well aware of the horrific creatures that could be living in such a small stream. As he got to the edge of the stream, he got a better look at it. Was that...?

Error leaned forward and crouched down, reaching out towards the object. He grasped it and tugged it towards himself, trying to be careful to not rip it. He hoisted it onto the land by his side, trying to get a better look at it. It was made of brown paper and had two circles cut into the front, like a pair of eyes. The backside of it was completely drenched and soggy, and when it applied only the littlest bit of pressure with his finger, he tore through the wet material.

" **ThIs.... ThIs WaS InK's....** " Error whispered to himself. " **He WoRe It BeCaUsE hE hAtEd HoW hIs FaCe LoOkEd AfTeR...** "

A dark chuckle came from beside him. Error gave the distorted shadow a cold glare, unconsciously bring the paper bag closer to his chest. The shadow looked almost identical to himself; the same raincoat, the same eyes, the same height and shape... only they were entirely pitch black. He tensed up as the shadow reached over to try and grab the paper bag, moving it out of its reach. The shadow paused, turning its head back to face Error.

" _ **YoU sTuPiD bUfFoOn,**_ " the shadow rasped, its voice a deeper and more glitched echo of Error's own. " ** _YoU lEfT hIm To DiE. He'S nEvEr GoInG tO cOmE bAcK, aNd EvEn If He DoEs, He WoN't Be YoUr PrEcIoUs LiTtLe InKy._** "

" **YoU dOn'T kNoW tHaT. YoU'rE lYiNg,** " Error said, though mainly to convince himself more. " **ThAt'S aLl YoU dO. YoU'rE jUsT a CrEaTiOn Of ThAt StUpId ToWeR aNd NoThInG mOrE.** "

The shadow was quick to move. One second, the paper bag was safely brought up to Error's chest. In just the blink of an eye, the shadow had it, hovering in the air above him. Error looked up at it, his eyes wide. The shadow grinned down at him, sharp fangs glinting in the morning light.

" ** _InK. Is. DeAd._** "

And it tore the paper bag into two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanna play the game but not only do I not have the money, but I'm a pansy too and will make no progress whatsoever.


	7. Errorink: I Have No Title For This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Wow I'm so tired that I didn't even title this at first.

Error was the best engineer in the entire world.

Ever since he was a young boy, he'd been interested in the many opportunities and discoveries of science and engineering. It wasn't uncommon for him to take things apart and remake them in some way. With the continuation of this, he excelled at just that. He could take anything, even a pile of scraps that's worthless to the common eye, and make some sort of device from them. Whether or not the device was anything useful was a hit or miss, but that wasn't really his top priority with the little projects.

Error's home was located on an island off of the coast of the mainland. It was a rather small island and it had a small population. It wasn't a beautiful scenic spot or home to anything spectacular, so they never got any tourists either. One day, he came to notice just how rundown and barren his home really was. When he asked his grandmother about the island's history, she told him that it was once a beautiful place and the home of ruins belonging to an ancient tribe. But when the Great War had reached the island's shores, that beauty and historical significance it had was destroyed.

Error had always believed that, as civilization moved forward, technology would harbor a solution to all of their problems. He felt that technology could save his home, too, if he did things right. He stuck to this belief of his as he set a goal to save the island, or at least make the effort to. His best supporter was his childhood friend, an art major named Ink. Ink's family came from old money, so he was the biggest funder of Error's long-term project.

But at the same time, there was a deep concern he had regarding Ink. His childhood friend had always been on the more sickly side, born with an illness that had yet to have a cure made. His rare condition had only been seen a few times in all of history and, because of its uniqueness and complexity, was very difficult to even treat professionally. But despite how harshly his illness punished him for most activities, Ink had always managed to make time to play with him when they were children. But now that they were older, that he was older, his illness could cut his threads at any given time.

Error had managed to achieve his goal through many years of painstaking research and experiments. He'd managed to transform the island from a crummy and desolate place to a high tech paradise. Many people came just to see all of the futuristic advancements they had now, bringing with them money and awareness. While Error was proud of his achievements and-- even if he didn't like to admit it-- relishing in the praise, he couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong.

A few days later, he found out what that feeling was.

He'd been visiting Ink at his house. His parents were away on a business trip overseas and wouldn't be back for a week. While the servants of the residence kept him company, Error was feeling guilty about not being able to spend as much time with him. His recent fame had kept him busy with all the interviews and such. While they were walking together through the large property's acres, Ink collapsed, coughing up more blood than Error had ever seen him do before.

" **Ink!** " Error had cried as he caught him, going down to the ground with him. " **InK, wHaT's WrOnG!?** "

"I-I'm just not feeling well today, is all...." Ink replied, his words slightly muffled behind his hand. "There's nothing to worry about..."

Error had his doubts about that last part. He grabbed onto Ink's wrist and pulled his hand away. His hand, which was small and dainty, was completely covered in a deep crimson liquid. So much blood had been coughed up from that hacking fit alone that it steadily dropped from his hand and into a puddle at his knees. Error sucked in a deep, sharp breath. He knew that Ink's health had been tethering, but this.... this wasn't good at all.

Ink had gotten checked in to a hospital. While Error waited anxiously for their reports and diagnostics, he stress-crafted. He made a wide variety of devices that served trivial purposes, though he had no doubts that people would want to purchase them for that same reason. An intern at the place where he worked came in and delivered him a letter from the hospital. Error was quick to tear it open and read its contents. But his hopes were crushed as he continued to read.

Ink only had a few days left to live.

Error's thoughts were clouded when he finished reading the letter. His best friend from childhood, the one who had always believed in him and supported him, was going to be dead soon. Because hospital support would do nothing to prolong his life, they released Ink back to his house. Error went to visit him as soon as possible, staying with him for however long he could. But Ink's body was starting to give into exhaustion almost constantly, so it wasn't uncommon for him to be asleep.

One of these days, as Error sat by Ink's bedside and watched him sleep, an idea came to his mind. If he had been able to transform the entire island using this new technology, then surely there had to be a way to save Ink, right?

Error worked day and night on his new project. His assistants begged him to take more breaks and get some proper sleep, but he refused. He was on a time limit. A very short time limit and not a moment could be spent goofing off. He eventually came up with a result of his efforts, though it was very different from what one might have imagined. He quickly went to Ink's house to inform him about the great news, but when he got there, he saw just how badly his health had deteriorated over just the few days.

He wasted no time in having him transported to his lab. Even if Error wasn't entirely certain this would work, it was clear to him that he was out of time. He immediately hooked Ink up to the machine and flipped it on, crossing his fingers as he prayed to whatever God would listen to his pleas. The circuits began to spark from the volts of electricity, causing a temporary power outage in the lab.

When the lights came back on, Ink's body was motionless and stiff on the table. Error felt his neck for any signs of life and, when he felt none, checked in on the machine. The eyes of the robot opened up slowly, one being blue and the other yellow. The head turned a bit in both directions to get a look at the room, then focused in on the body laying before it. Error typed in a code and released the android body from its bindings, moving quick enough to catch it before it fell.

"E... Error.....?" The robot spoke, its voice identical to Ink's. "What....?"

" **It WoRkEd....** " Error's voice was a hushed whisper. " **It ReAlLy WoRkEd....** "

Error explained as much as he could to Ink about his new body. No one had ever tried something like this before, and Error hadn't even been certain the technology was possible. But he had done it, even if only for a short amount of time. He had no idea how long this new way of life would last him. While Error was overwhelmed with joy about saving his best friend, there was a new problem that he hadn't taken into consideration prior to his project.

If word about this got out, things could get out of hand quickly. Technology that could transfer an organic life to a robot body, memories and everything still intact.... riots would break out for sure. People would surely fear if this technology fell into the wrong hands, not to mention fearing that Error might be planning to use it for.... less heroic intentions. Error would never plan to do such a thing, but merely saying that wouldn't be enough to convince frightened people. He would have to lie about who this android really was, and say he was just a common AI servant.

He had been asked many times why he took such a liking to that robot. In the story he'd made up to cover the android's true identity, he gave them the name "Comyet". Each time he was asked the question, he would just say that it held a personal meaning to him. No one would have ever suspected that the supportive AI was actually Ink in a new body, and as much as it pained them, it was better if it stayed that way.

God only knows what Error's rivals would do with that information.


	8. Cream: Leif's Flower Shop

" **Thank you for shopping at Leif's Flower Shop! Come again.** "

Dream paused in his chores when he heard the cheerful tone his brother had. Nightmare was always on the more sassy side, even with their customers. He stood up from the floor, watering can in his hand, and turned to face the counter where his brother was positioned. He didn't look like anything special to Dream, and that was saying something. He was an average height wearing a black turtleneck sweater and had jet black eyes. The customer thanked Nightmare before he left, and his brother watched him leave. As soon as the door closed, Nightmare's head whipped towards him.

"You were nicer than usual," Dream pointed out. "What gossip did that one bring to the counter?"

" **That dude.... was just so.... so hot,** " Nightmare stated. " **And that means something. Everyone always looks like they just crawled out of a dumpster.** "

"Even me?" He asked, acting hurt as he turned his head.

" **Ehh... you look like trash, yeah,** " he decided with a nod. " **On a good day, you look like an accounting major going through a divorce and running on thirty minutes of sleep and a black coffee.** "

"Err..... if you were getting any ideas, you might wanna look outside," he murmured, looking away rather quickly.

Nightmare raised an eyebrow bone at Dream's sudden uneasiness. Following his suggestion, the goop-covered monster turned his head to look out the large window of the shop. Dream kept looking out of the corner of his eye, holding in his breath without being aware of it. The two of them looked out of the window just in time to see the previous customer hand his purchased bouquet of flowers to another guy, one who was wearing a dark blue and orange Nasa hoodie and licking an ice cream cone.

" **I..... well, I didn't have any liking for him anyway,** " Nightmare grumbled, but Dream could tell he was a little devastated. Just a little. " **I'm gonna go drown my irritation with coffee. Call me if the shop catches on fire, the zombie apocalypse starts, or your ex shows up.** "

"Will do," Dream replied, walking behind the counter to take his brother's spot. "Oh! That reminds me, how is your hand healing?"

" **It's doing just fine,** " he replied as he walked through the door to the staff room. " **I would say you should be more worried about his eye, but after what he did to you, he's lucky he's still alive.** "

"R-Right....." He nodded.

He put the watering can away where it belonged on the tool shelf, pulling the rubbery gloves off of his hands and throwing them off to the side. The door to the shop swung open and the bell above it let out a chime, and two teenagers walked in. One was an average height with hazel eyes and chin-length brown hair, wearing a blue shirt with a red stripe around the waist. The other was a shorter, scrawnier girl with chocolate-colored hair that was in a beautifully done braid, wearing a purple sweater and a navy blue overalls skirt, her one visible green eye looking around nervously.

"Hello, welcome to Leif's Flower Shop!" Dream chirped happily, greeting them with a smile and wave. "Is there anything specific you're looking for today?"

The girl with the braided hair paused in her steps, looking up at her companion. The hazel eyed teenager gave her a nod, and she headed into one of the aisles to look at the displays. The teenager with hazel eyes turned and looked at Dream, their face holding a small smile.

"We're just looking around. If Aliza sees anything she likes, then I'll buy," they explained. They looked over as the girl with braided hair came back up to them. "Hm? Did you find something?"

"U-Um..... there's a black rose....." Aliza muttered out, pointing over to where the flower was. "C-Can I have that one....?"

The teenager with the hazel eyes followed Aliza over to where the black rose was. When they brought it up to the counter, Dream got a better look at it. It was a beautiful little flower, it came with its very own little clay pot too. Aliza set it up on the counter and took a step back, letting her companion handle the transaction.

"That'll be four dollars."

The teenager paid the due amount. Dream found out that they were lovers when the one with hazel eyes gave Aliza a kiss, holding her hand as they left the flower shop. Dream sighed heavily as the door closed, not wanting them to hear his complaints. He didn't have any complaints about them, of course. He'd never do something like that. He just wished that he had someone who would take him out and buy him flowers, without expecting something in return. Obviously he'd do nice things for them too, but he meant like.... more explicit stuff. Basically someone who wasn't like his ex.

Dream got startled as the door to the flower shop swung open. A tall skeleton monster walked in, one who looked annoyed and irritated. Dream felt his body tense up a bit when he saw him. Not only was he taller than Dream, he looked much stronger than him. The new customer's eyes landed on him immediately and, without saying anything, he stormed up to the counter. He reached into his pocket and slammed a $20 bill on the counter.

"How do I passive-aggressively say 'fuck you' in flower?" The customer demanded.

Dream stared at him, startled for a moment. No one had ever come into the shop and asked about the flower language or any meanings behind flowers. The only one that was ever asked about was which flowers mean love or something along those lines. His face broke out into a wide smile. He could finally put that trivial flower knowledge he'd read about during his Freshman year to good use.

"Oh am I ever so glad that you asked," Dream replied. "You'll need a bouquet if you really want to get the message across."

"Will a 20 be enough?" The customer asked, referring to the dollar bill they'd offered up. "It's all I have on me."

"It should be." He nodded. "You'll need geraniums, foxglove, meadowsweet, yellow carnations, and orange lilies."

"What do they mean?" He asked. "I've only heard of carnations and lilies."

"Well, they all have a negative meaning," he explained. "Geraniums mean stupidity, foxglove symbolizes insecurity, meadowsweet is for uselessness, yellow carnations basically say 'you have disappointed me', and orange lilies symbolize hatred."

"Oh that's the perfect bouquet to give her." He grinned. "It's for my toxic girlfriend, if you're wondering. Which you probably weren't, but this is a big thing."

"Oh, you have a bad one too?" He asked, offering an empathetic smile. "I did. I didn't give him the bouquet though, since he's too dumb to understand what they mean. I did think about it, though."

" **You thought about it?** " Nightmare called out from the staff room. " **I had to argue with you about it! I said--** "

"I know what you said!" Dream called back to him. "You said he would mistake it as me forgiving him and still caring about him!"

" **And I'm right about it!** "

Dream let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. He muttered an apology to the customer, who chuckled in response to the short conversation between the two coworkers. Dream walked around the flower shop and gathered up the flowers for the bouquet, putting them in a nicely arranged bundle. He made small talk with the customer and learned that his name was Cross.

"I'm so telling my girlfriend to look up what these flowers mean." Cross grinned. "Thank you."

~~~~

A few months had gone by since their initial meeting.

Cross had become a regular customer at the flower shop. Even if the only thing he was doing was flirting with Dream, or buying a single rose just to hand it back to him. Nightmare would often tease him about Cross's obvious crush on him, but he pretended to be oblivious and not notice it. One day he came in while Nightmare had off, having a little gift for Dream.

"Hey Dream!" Cross greeted him.

"Good morning, Cross," Dream replied. "What's that behind your back?"

"Well, I wanted to get you something nice. I know you like flowers," he sheepishly said. "Sooo I tried to make you a bouquet."

Cross revealed the bouquet of flowers to Dream, handing it over to him. The bouquet was made up of red camellias, red roses, and light red and dark red carnations. Dream took the bouquet with a smile, feeling the petals of the flowers gently. He glanced up at Cross.

"Is this your way of confessing?" He asked him. "Using the flower language?"

"You seem to know it pretty well," Cross answered with a faint blush. "You've been acting oblivious to my several rose gifts, so I thought this would get the message across."

"You big dork." He grinned, walking around the counter. He plucked a rose from the bouquet and handed it to Cross. "I love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> Personally, I headcanon stuff like Dream being at greater risk of getting raped by the villagers. You can't tell me that every villager was a decent person to Dream, just because he's the Guardian of Positivity. People (especially humans, ugh) don't work like that. I refuse to believe it.


End file.
